Tramway-track point.



J. BELLVE & T. W. POTTS.

'TRAMWAY TRACK POINT. APPLIUATION FILED JULY 1, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1911 2 SHEETSSHEET l.

lNvfiN'T'ORs. JOSEPH BELLVE amal WITNESSES- A ToR YT COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsH|NnToN. D. c.

UNITE STATES FFIQE.

JOSEPH BELLVE AND THOMAS WILSON POTTS, OF DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND.

TRAMWAY-TRAGK POINT.

To all whomit may concern Be it known that we, J osnrrr BELLVE and THOMAS WVrLsoN Porrs, subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Dunedin, in the Dominion of New Zealand, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tramway-Track Points and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention has been designed in order to provide improved means whereby the points of tramway tracks may be actuated by means of a bar caused to depend from the car upon the track, and thus to save any necessity of the point being actuated by a switchman or by one of the car hands alighting from the car as is at present mostly the custom.

The invention consists broadly in the combination with a point having the usual tongue pivoted to move horizontally, of le vers connected with the tongue and adapted to be rocked by a rod depending from the car and thus to move the tongue.

One manner of carryingout the invention consists in the employment of a pair of pivoted levers arranged one along each side of the portion of the rail immediately in front of the tongues forward end. Each of these levers is provided at one end with a cam surface projecting toward the side of the rail, and at the other end with an inwardly ex tending pin or projection that lies adjacent to the corresponding side of the tongue. Each of these levers is adapted to be rocked on its pivot by means of a rod depending from the car and engaging with its cam face, and when thus moved, to have its projection engage with the adjacent side of the tongue and force such tongue over in the required manner.

In fully describing the invention, ref erence will be made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the improved point, in which two levers are employed, the covering of the containing box being removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail plan illustrating the relative arrangements of the tongue and operating levers. Fig. 4 is a cross section on an enlarged scale taken on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is also a similar section on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

App1ication filed. July 1, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914:.

Serial No. 636,509.

In carrying out the invention the tongue a 18 pivoted within the switch frog 1) in the usual way so as to provide for it swinging to have its edge lying continuously with the main rail, or to be free of such rail. 0 are the operating levers, one of which is arranged alongside each side of the rail 12 so as to extend longitudinally therewith. Each of these levers is pivotally connected to a base plate (Z of the frame 6 so as to be capable of turning horizontally on its pivot. This pivot is arranged at a point about the middle of the lever. The levers are so positioned that their back ends will lie opposite the free forward end of the tongue a. The rear end of each lever is provided with a pm f extending inward thereon and engaging with the end of an adjustable pin 9 projecting from the corresponding side of the tongue. Thus the tongue will lie between the two pins f and be kept in engagement with them, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The switch frog is formed with slots h therein on both sides of the tongue through which the pins 9' will project to en gage with the pins f.

The forward end of each lever c is provided with a cam j on its inside face, this cam projecting toward the adjacent face of the rail. The cam is so shaped that when engaged by a rod or other rigid appliance on its forward end, such rod will slide along the cams surface and force the corresponding end of the lever o outward. This will cause the other end of such lever to be forced in, so that its pin, engaging with the tongue will move the tongue over in a corresponding direction as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The levers are mounted within the frame or casing e made of suitable material and covered in by means of a cover 70 which thus serves to keep dirt, from the road, entering the box and choking the levers. This frame is arranged in the surface of the road so that its top is level with the tread of the ra1 The forward end of the frame is, however, formed with a slot m extending along on each side of the rail, and the cam faces of the respective cams j project and lie beneath these slots. These slots are provided in order to allow of a rod being inserted to engage with the cams and operate the levers in the manner described.

In the construction shown the rod for actuating the levers is arranged to depend from the car in any suitable manner and to be depressed so as to extend down into either of the slots m by the employment of any desired mechanism operated either by the hand or the foot of the car driver. Thus upon a car approaching the point and finding it closed from passage in the direction desired, the driver will depress the rod into one or the other of the slots at so that as the car proceeds, the rod will engage with. the cam j on the corresponding lever and cause such lever to turn and move the tongue over to open the point. Or the rod will be caused to engage with one or other of the cam faces y of the single lever to cause it to turn and actuate the tongue to open the point in the required manner. The car will thus proceed without stopping, the point being actuated before the first wheel reaches the tongue.

To provide for the rod being lifted out of the slot on as soon as it has actuated the lever, should the driver neglect to raise it, the bottom of the frame 6 is provided with an inclined plane a (Fig. 2) extending upward from the bottom to the top of the slot. This plane will be engaged by the bottom of the rod, and the rod thus be forced up clear of the lever in the required manner.

The pins 7 on the levers 0 and the pins 9 on the tongue at Fig. 6 are attached to their respective members in such a manner that their lengthsmay be varied in order to allow of their proper adjustment to compensate for wear on the parts.

In cases where the frog of the overhead power wire is provided with a switch tongue that has to be operated to guide the trolley wheel of an electric car on to the branch, a connection may be led from the point tongue 'to the frog switch so that the movements of the point will cause the frog switch to move in the corresponding direction. Thus the appliance may be utilized to actuate both the points and the overhead switch as Well.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a tramway switch, the combination of a rail; a rail joint provided with slots; 21 track point pivoted therein; operating levers arranged on both sides of the rail and pivoted at their middle part; inwardly pointing cams on the inner faces of the levers; an adjustable pin disposed transversely of the track point; and pins in said levers engaging the ends of said adjustable pin.

In testimony whereof, we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

JOSEPH BELLVE. THOMAS WILSON POTTS. \Vitnesses J. H. THOMPSON, C. S. PEAKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

